Pacers-Wizards Insider 061108

WASHINGTON 117, PACERS 91
Arenas Dominates Defenseless Pacers

At Verizon Center | Nov. 8, 2006

If the Pacers players were hoping to convince Coach Rick Carlisle to give them a long-awaited day off in the middle of a four-game, five-night stretch Thursday, they didn't offer much of an argument. Carlisle said after Tuesday's victory over Philadelphia that he intended to conduct practice every day until the team showed the necessary consistency of effort.

But the Pacers followed that encouraging performance with their worst effort of this season, allowing Washington's Gilbert Arenas to rack up an easy 40 points as the Wizards blew open the game in the second quarter, led by as many as 36 points in the second half and coasted to a 117-91 victory Wednesday night in the Verizon Center.

Asked what he told the team in the locker room after the rout, Carlisle said, "I'll see you tomorrow at 1 o'clock for practice."

The Pacers played without Jermaine O'Neal, nursing an ankle sprain suffered against the 76ers and his absence was felt at both ends of the floor, though that hardly could explain the team's overall lack of performance. The Pacers dropped to 3-2, while the Wizards improved to 2-2.

PLUSES
Aside from Al Harrington's scoring (23 points on 10-of-19 shooting) and the respectable play of Marquis Daniels off the bench (11 points), there was nothing for the Pacers to claim aside from a 49-39 rebounding advantage. Their offensive decision-making was poor (.386 shooting, 25 turnovers) and their defense was gauze. The Wizards shot .518 and scored at will. Arenas was supported ably by Antawn Jamison's 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

MINUSES
At some point, the starting backcourt is going to have to start making some shots. Jamaal Tinsley and Stephen Jackson combined for 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting, as well as eight turnovers. On the season, they're a combined 37-of-106 overall (.349) and 7-of-32 from the 3-point line (.219). In O'Neal's absence, there was ample opportunity for either or both to step forward. Another player granted a chance, David Harrison, started at center and continued to struggle with foul trouble, managing three points, five rebounds, three blocks and three fouls in 18 minutes.

MOMENTS

The Pacers paid the price for playing Washington's game in the first half, settling for jump shots, rarely attacking the rim and as a result winding up with too many turnovers and too few free throws to keep the Wizards contained. With Harrington and Daniels playing well, the Pacers put together one nice prolonged run, cutting a 36-26 deficit to 44-43 late in the period.

But a Flagrant Foul against Tinsley, who grabbed Etan Thomas around the waist and pulled him out of bounds on a layup, led to a five-point play (after the initial basket, Thomas made one of two free throws, then dunked on the bonus possession) that gave momentum immediately back to the Wizards. Arenas scored their final nine points of the half, including a four-point play, in an 18-4 burst that covered less than 4 minutes but pushed the home team to a 62-47 advantage at the break. The Pacers committed 12 turnovers and were outscored 13-3 from the line in the half.

Any hopes of a comeback were quickly squelched as Arenas keyed a devastating 30-8 third-quarter run that took the lead from 64-50 to 94-58 and thereafter it was only a matter of where the final margin would settle.

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